Michael Billings Collection - Wallet 1 - Part 12 of 14

VX38483 Gnr. M Billings
Palestine
5th Battery 2. A A A Regt.

Sweetheart
To resume our running commentary, the opening  
verses of this chapter find me crouched over a candle  
casting about for a suitable opening stanza.  Regarding  
my health, I have survived an attack of gastritis and  
the cold which lingered after disembarkation is now  
disappearing for which relief the Lord be praised.   
Although I have just come off guard, the improvement 
in conditions has brightened me considerably and as  
Mr Menzies would say, I face the future with calm  
confidence.  In passing, the guard here it not of the  
somewhat perfunctory kind we had in Australia.   
Here we are stuck out in the wilderness and during the  
night patrols, it is quite eerie with jackals howling  
and donkeys braying nearby.  My "noives" however  
withstood the ordeal and I shall now carry on with
the narrative.  You, I trust are in good fettle and  
keeping the home fires burning in yeoman style.  Mail  
from home is expected tomorrow, so shall look forward to  
your ever-welcome epistles.  No doubt about it, the  
PAR AVION is our salvation out here.  In my last letter  
I told of meeting John but so far have not had an  
opportunity to pop over and see him.

2/
The trip last Sunday went by owing to my indisposition
but this week, I have paid up for a visit to
Jerusalem and other sacred places in the Holy
Land (at least that's where I think its to) so the
occasion should be interesting. I would like to be
able to attend Mass there but may have to defer
it until a later occasion. If I can, I will get
a gift for you and mail it quickly. However as the
surface mail is so slow It will be some time before
you would get it. I'll give it a fly anyhow. There
are some beautiful articles obtainable over here if you
can get the leave to go to the spots where they are on
sale. By the way, tell Doris, Norm is also in this
district at present; I had a note from him and
will pop over to his camp soon for a pow wow. He
wrote that he was feeling in the pink. After a cold
spell the weather has been marvellous and the last two days
and tomorrow, we go back to shorts to my great
delight. Yesterday, we had a march and took our seabags
along so on the way back we entered an orchard
to get 'em filled. For next to nothing, all got a bag of
oranges & grapefruit. The grapefruit are so sweet, no
sugar is required which is just as well as

3/ 
sugar is on the coat (?) here. Bob Sutton thanks you for 
your good wishes and heartily reciprocates. I might
mention this next mail is eagerly awaited as I
hope to read that Syd is home again and has seen
you all.  Also Puss,  address letters to me at "G"
Section instead of Headquarters an henceforth as I am
with the new crowd now and a very fine lot of
chaps they are too.  So with one thing and another, 
things with me are greatly improved.  The Comforts
crowd continue to shine and have doled out
some good antiseptic soap, razor blades whilst a 
packet of the 'fags for fighters' is also to hand.
Other amenities have been provided as well, so they
are doing a good job, you can tell people.  Well
darling my candle is beginning to splutter and my
news is also running out with it so I think I shall
leave off wishing you Suda (Arabic - good -day) 
Next day
Your letter No. 11 has one or two things calling for comment.
The Old Floral Dance has a few poignant memories
for us hasn't it. Tell Val not to be such a  
sentimental goose. Too terribly Irish

4/
Tell her to remember me kindly to John Casey and
give the little lady a hug and a kiss from me.
I bet she and you are thicker than ever now with
your common interest so best of luck to you both.
Fancy Flan getting sent up to N.S.W, I thought 
that by now he would be on the water roaring 
for battle and beer.  Well, darling, that's all 
for today so will now desist and go on parade.
Sending you love and kisses not to mention
blessings. Love to your mater and other kith and 
kin . Will drop your mother a line soon, this
week its all duties and precious little
leisure.  Cheerio Lady 
Mick 

13.4.41
AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL
FORCE
PASSED BY CENSOR 
206
AIR.MAIL

MISS. K. CLARKE
CHINA DEPARTMENT
MUTUAL STORE LTD
FLINDERS. ST.
MELBOURNE C.I. AUSTRALIA

Palestine
15.4 41

VX38483. Gnr. M Billings
5th Battery 2nd A.A.A Regiment 
No 9
A.I.F. Abroad 
11. 4. 41

Sweetheart
And so to resume our correspondence (I must
first report that I am well and finding the Army
life tolerable, having so far escaped the notice
of the enemy).  Lunch has just been devoured and
this afternoon being somewhat in the nature of a
holiday (I hope) a letter writing fatigue is now
in progress and acknowledgement of your airmail letter
No. 14, and, believe it or not, ordinary mail No. 2 is
reported. As is customary, the contents of your letters
made pleasant reading and I am delighted that you
are carrying on and have had a couple of letters
from me posted en route to these 'ere parts. I trust
that those were closely followed by airmail from
here as from the heading, you can see that I have
not been neglectful in that respect. Glad to know
Syd has dropped in to see you although I am surprised 
his trotter is still bad. I can quite understand
his chagrin about the position but if he had kept
along with us and a recurrence had come along, he
would have been in a pickle because under present
conditions. I bet you got a shock when you heard
his dulcet tones over the phone. As the mail 

2/
from Australia is about due, I hope that there is a
note from him in with your bi -weekly effort and
hope that by now he had become reconciled to his
fate. You remember I said in a previous letter that
I was sending you a parcel containing some, sacred 
objets d'art? Well in my travels, I have picked up
another thing at two and have deferred sending the
parcel now, however, it is complete and am
popping it in now at the Post Office to go by
ordinary mail. If it was to go per airmail, the 
cost would pauperize me so have patience until 
it arrives. The embossed h hander handkerchiefs 
are is for our respe  your mother so hand it over when 
you visit her with my love. The cedar rosary
beads are for my mater. So darling your devoted
swain begs you to pass them on.  I am due for a
days leave in Jerusalem on Sunday and if I chance
upon anything whilst there I'll send it along
in a later packet. I think you will like the cushion
cover affair, the scene is hand painted and to
my amateur eye quite well executed. Also enclosed
I send a snap of myself in deshabille from which you
can see that I am managing to preserve a little of
my condition and beauty. The past week has been
pretty warm and I have spent all the daylight hours

3/
basking in the suns ray with the result that my hard 
bitten features are somewhat skinnier particularly the
conk which glows like a ruby. Since last letter, I have
met Frank McDonald and we had a good yarn
in this tent and then he gave me a lift to the pictures. 
(The show was "The Grapes of Wrath" and although it was
good a gloomy show like that was hardly the
thing we go for here. At the pictures here, you
have to be on the qui vive because the lighting and
recording are both pretty crook and the boys keep
up a running fire of lurid comment practically all
of which it unprintable). I'll bet Mary got a shock
when she saw Arthur in the newsreel; your reaction
to my screen appearance would be mild compared with
Mum's.  You know her talent for ejaculation. I'm
looking forward to leave as this will be my first
effort and a break away from the camp will be
fine although I had hoped for a two day spell so as
to attend the religious exercises. (As it is, by the time
we arrive the morning services will be over and we
come back before the evening rites commence and as
Easter in the holy land is such an occasion, it's a
pity to be here and not be able to take part.) Before
I forget, I am sending you a few copies of the P Parade
the contents and pictures you should enjoy; that is if
you ever get them.

4/
[Well, you are a lazy hound lolling in bed with tea
and books. That's no way to help the war effort
although I must confess my last impressions of
Melbourne were of the ostrich act in relation to
the war. Perhaps by now they've forgotten all about
it and "business as usual" holds sway. Over this
side of the globe, they are made conscious of it and so
are we as this country abounds with Hitler's victims]
Your surmise of the voyage in equatorial latitudes
is only too correct, particularly in a ship not meant for
such latitudes. In the kitchen, the mercury hung
around 125° (F). Still Syd could tell you all about
that as he was incarcerated in the ship's
hospital during that period. Last Sunday, [I went over
to Mass, said by Father O'Byrne in a tent with
a dirt floor and it was quite a nice little ceremony].
The priests do a great job here going from camp to camp
lugging all the gear necessary for the various ceremonies.
Well, Lady Clarke, after a brain cudgelling
I can think of nothing else in the way of news so
will cry a halt. Sending you all my love
and felicitations to all your folks
Mick
p.s. A "Smiths Weekly" has arrived for one of my tentmates.
Here's hoping

S Manton